Legislative Bulletin December 21, 2009
Season's Greetings and
Happy Holidays - NHSBA Hopes you find time to enjoy the Holidays with Family
and Friends!
We also want you to know
that the NHSBA Legislative Bulletin will resume a weekly schedule when the
legislature returns to regular activity with the start of the 2010 Session in
January.
A Brief Summary of Education Issues at the State House
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State Building Aid Update
As previewed in the last Bulletin, the
Committee to Study the School Building Aid Grant Program met last Tuesday and
formally adopted an interim report that recommends the legislature consider a
temporary suspension of the building aid program. As previously reported, the
report also recommends that no such suspension should take effect prior to June
30, 2010. Senator Molly Kelly indicated she is introducing legislation this
January to proceed with the Committee's recommendation.
A copy of the December 15, 2009 interim report
is available on the NHSBA web site at www.nhsba.org/documents/pdfs/IntReportBuildAidStudy.pdf
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Accountability for an
Adequate Education
The Task Force
charged with developing a performance-based school accountability system met
last Friday and is scheduled to meet again January 29. The Task Force reviewed
its charge to advise on a performance-based accountability system that is to be
in place beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, serving as one method a school
may use to demonstrate, by the end of the school year, that it is providing the
opportunity for an adequate education. The Task Force also reviewed the
requirement for schools to demonstrate they are providing the opportunity for
an Adequate Education by an alternative "input method" detailing how each
school has complied with each of the standards included in the opportunity for
an adequate education (see RSA 193-E:2-a). This "input method" requirement is
due by the end of the current school year, June 30, 2010. The Task Force must
file an interim report by April 1, 2010 and a final report by November 1, 2010.
The Task Force
viewed a demonstration of the "input system" that is being developed for
implementation this school year. The "input system" is one way a school may
demonstrate that it provides the opportunity for an adequate education. The
Department of Education has developed "input data collection software" to
facilitate the process that districts are required to complete by the end of this
school year. The software prompts the user for information on how a school has
complied with each of the standards included in the opportunity for an adequate
education. The prompts are based on the rules in ED 306 that correspond to the
adequacy requirements in RSA 193-E:2-a. The data collection software
facilitating this "input system" process will be piloted in January. When the
Task Force meets again, it will review the input system process and continue
its discussions on defining a performance-based accountability system.
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Retirement and "Spiking"
The committee studying the imposition of assessments to
retirement system employers for excess benefits paid to retirees (spiking)
continues to review information and data from both NHRS and the actuaries at
Gabriel Roeder Smith & Co. To date, options have been reviewed and the
committee is looking at whether or not to allow or limit spiking, and if
allowed, whether to share in the corresponding costs or not. The committee is
currently considering a possible survey of municipalities and school districts
to help determine the extent of such retirement 'payouts' and if they represent
a legitimate problem. However, specific language corresponding to practices in
school districts and municipalities still needs to be resolved. The committee
is likely to meet again in January. _________________________________________________________________
NHSBA Delegate Assembly - Saturday,
January 16, 2010
Be sure to mark your
calendar now for the 2010 NHSBA Delegate Assembly on Saturday, January 16th,
at the Local Government Center in Concord, NH. Click here to register!
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For the complete text of any bill,
go to the general court web site and enter the bill number, e.g. HB223, SB180 or CACR5 (no
spaces!), and make sure the Session Year is 2009. Bills for 2010 (legislative
proposals) will be available after December 10, 2009.
For more information on specific legislation, please call
Dean Michener, NHSBA Director of Governmental Affairs at 603-228-2061, or email: [email protected].
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Dean Michener
NHSBA Director of Governmental Affairs
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